For the past several days, when I am out for the morning feed, I have noticed that Smoochie (one of our fainting goat bucks) has been blubbering at the fence beside the chicken yard.
"Blubbering" is a mating ritual for male goats. When they are desirous of something on the other side of the fence from them, they weave their heads back and forth on the fence and make a blubbering noise. This sometimes goes on for hours on end. Smoochie's recent blubbering has made no sense to us, though. The only thing on the other side of the fence from him is chickens.
Has Smoochie developed a desire for chickens? A couple of days ago I thought perhaps Audrey was teasing him. Audrey is one of our Dwarf Nigerian goats who's yard is on the opposite side of the chickens...with a lane between, also.
She stood like a statue on top of a stump for about an hour one morning as he was blubbering. But then, I noticed he continued that behavior when no other goats were visible. A few more days of thinking about this behavior has led me to believe it has something to do with the corn/oat scratch that I feed the chickens in the morning. I think he has his signals confused, and wants some of the scratch....but doesn't quite know how to ask for it. So, each morning, as I feed the chickens their tasty treat.....Smoochie continues to blubber on the other side of the fence. Because he is a grazer, corn would not be good for his digestive tract....so, sorry Smoochie......no corn, no chickens, and no girls for you.
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